Time switch



Oct. 16,1923. 1,471,082

I H. E.YWARREN TIME SWITCH Filed Nov. 15, 1919 In vent'or 34 Henry Ewan-rem,

His tcorneg.

Patented Oct. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,471,082 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. WARREN, OF AS HLANTD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TIME SWITCH.

Application filed November 15, 1919. Serial No. 388,387.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HENRY E. WARREN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Ash-- land, county of ,Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switches and more particularly to those adapted to be operated to close and open a circuit at certain predetermined instants.

The object of my invention is to provide a switch of a novel construction wherein the switch is thrown by the momentum developed in a body after releasing it from a biased or flexed position. Inanother aspect, my switch is adapted to be operated wholly by kinetic energy imparted to a body by releasing stored elastic energy. This construction enables the actuating means to be considerably simplified, since by the use of a cam, such as a pin carried by a wheel driven in one direction, a continuous movement effects both the flexing of the body referred to, as well as its release. .The body, however, need not necessarily be a springy or flexible one, but may be rigid and held by a force such for example as a weight or spring in its normal position, and is biased therefrom against an opposing force by means carried by the continuously driven wheel. The novel form of switch described, however, may be caused to be actuated in other ways than by a continuously moving member, and a large number of such ways will readily suggestthemselves to persons skilled in the art. By the use of such a continuously moving member, it, is possible to actuate the switch at certain definite predetermined instants. This is accomplished by r0- tating the wheel carrying the cam or pin at a uniform rate, which rotation may be effected by any well known means. Because of its advantages, I drive the mechanism referred to by a self-starting synchronous motor of the type described in various Letters Patents granted to me, for example, in Patent No. 1,283,432, granted October 29, 1918, or No. 1,283,433, granted on the same day.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the switch and its operating parts; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing some of the operating parts insec- This switch may be of any well known construction, but by way of example-there is illustrated a blade 18 pivotally carried by a suitable stationary post OI"p1V0t 19. This blade has appropriate means for connection to the electric conductor 13, and is provided at its upper end with a suitable contact making portion 19' adapted to engage stationary clips 20 which are in electrical connection with line 12. Although one specific form of switch is described, it seems selfevident that other forms may readily be utilized.

The switch blade 18 conveniently carries means, such as the projections 21 and 22, for moving the switch from closed to open position, or vice versa. For opera-ting upon these projections, I provide members 23 and 24. Each of these members is adapted to engage with its corresponding projection after the member has been moved away from its normal position and then allowed to swing back to and beyond that position. For performing this function eiliciently, members 23 and 24 may be made of resilient material, such as spring wire, as illustrated. The member 23 has, at its upper end, a. series of loops 25, forming a suitable pivoting means for said member upon the station ary post or pivot 19. A pin 26 may be utilized for retaining the member 23 upon said pivot. The member 23 is formed intermediate its ends with one or more large loops or turns 27 for increasing its flexibility at that (point, although in some cases such an 28 engages it, and the turns 27 will be wound u exactly as if it were a helical spring.

ovement of the free end of member 23 therefore serves to store mechanical energy in the form of elastic energy. Should this free end he now released, it would fly back to and beyond its original position to an extreme left-hand position. By actual tests, it has been found that the kinetic energy thus developed is more than sufficient to operate the switch. To increase this effect,

however, should it be necessary, use may be a had of the adjustable weight 29. In this way the momentum of the member as it swings to the left is increased. This swing causes the upper part of member 23 to engage the projection 21 carried by the switch blade and throw the switch into closed position, as shown by the dotted lines.

For performing the opening operation, a somewhat similar arrangement is utilized. The resilient member 24 is formed intermediate its ends with a number of turns 30 so as to form a helical spring. The abutment 28 conveniently serves as a support for this spring. The lower free end of member 24 is formed in a way entirely similar to that'of member 23, and may also be provided with an adjustable weight 29 for increasing its momentum. The upper free end of member 24 normally rests lightly against any convenient abutment, in this case stationary pivot 19 being utilized. By causing the lower free end of this member to move to the right, the spring portion 30 is wound up. When suddenly released, the mechan ical energy stored causes the spring to unwind qulckly, and the kinetic energy acquired is suflicient to causethe lower free end of member 24 to move back to and be yond its normal position. The upper free end therefore swings over to the right and engages with projection 22 to open the switch.

' An important and useful result that follows from the arrangement of the parts as shown is that the hammer blow imparted to switch blade 18 by one of the members 23 or 24 is prevented from causing a recoil of said blade. When moving from the full to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, the projection 21 is hit by the member 23, and the blade rapidly moves to the dotted line position. In doing so, projection 22 engages with member 24, which acts as a resilient buffer to absorb the energy of the hammer blow. The same effect is produced in the movement from the dotted line to the full line position. Prevention of the recoil is also aided by the frictional engagement of blade 18 and clip 20.

To perform the function of flexing or biasing the members 23 and 24, an convenient means may be employed and show one form that fulfills the requirements very well. As shown in the drawings, the stationary shaft or pivot 31 supports the relatively rotatable flanged hub 32 carrying the flange 33, from the inner surface of which projects a pin 34. The pin forms a mechanical equivalent for a cam and has the advantage of cheapness and simplicity. Rotatably mounted upon a reduced shoulder portion of the hub 32 is a flanged wheel 35 carrying the flange 36, from the inner surface of which projects a pin 37. From this description it is evident that for every revolution of each of the parts 32 and 35, the lower free ends of members 23 and 24 are engaged by the pins 34 and 37, and, at a later stage of their movement, said members are released.

Means for driving both of the parts 32 and 35 is conveniently furnished by a small self-starting synchronous motor 38, fed from appropriate mains 50, 51, which may be electrically connected with mains 15, 16, and shown as appropriately connected by reducing gearing indicated diagrammatically at 39, to the notched wheel 40, rotatably mounted on the stationary shaft 31. The motor may for convenience be supported on the base 11. The reduction gearing is so proportioned that the notched wheel is rotated say once every 24 hours. A spring clip 41 provided with a small tooth 42, adapted to fit into the notches of wheel 40, is carried by the wheel 35. Motion is therefore transmitted from the notched wheel 40 to the wheel 35 through the intermediary of the spring clip 41. The tooth 42 may be made to engage with any one of the notches on the wheel 40, so that the time of operation of the switch may be predetermined. For this purpose the outer surface of the wheel 40 may be appropriately divided into hours and convenient subdivisions, as shown at 45. The hub 32 carries a corresponding spring clip 43 having a small tooth 44 adapted to engage the notches on wheel 40. The clips 41 and 43 are so situated angularly with respect to the pins 34 and 37 that the time given by the particular notches in which the teeth 42 and 44 engage is that at which pins 37 and 34 respectively release the lower free ends of members 23 and 24.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a slightly modified form of my invention. In this modification the resilient members 23 and 24 are replaced by com aratively rigid members, such as 46, adapte to be held in normal position by a flat spring 47 appropriatel anchored to a stationary abutment 48. T e helical spring 49 attached to an intermediate point is normally not under tension, but as soon as the operating pin engages the lower end of the member 46, this spring is stretched, and when the pin leaves said member the spring pulls the member back. The kinetic energy developed causes the member to go further to the left than its original position, and

thus to operate the switch. Other features of operation of this modification are the same as for. that originally described.

While I havelslioyvn in the accompanying drawings preferred "embodiments of my device, my invention is not limited thereto, and I aim in the appended claims to embrace all modifications falling fairly within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination, a switch, a member, a single means for first moving said member,

.and then allowing said member to return beyond its'first position due to its momentum and directly operate said switch blade. 2. In combination, a switch, a member, a lost motion connection between said switch and member, means adapted first to bias said member and then to release said memher from the biased position, said member directly operating said switch upon its release. 3. In combination, a switch, a member, means adapted first to move said member against an opposing force, and then release said member, whereby the kinetic energy developed by the member in its return be yond its first position directly operates said switch. 4. In combination. a switch, two members for respectively closing and opening said switch, a single means for first moving one of said members against an opposing force and then releasing said member whereby the momentum developed by the. member on its return to its first position causes said member to move beyond said position and close said switch, and a similar single means cooperating with the other of said two members for opening said switch.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, with means for periodically causing each of the two members to be released at predetermined instants.

6. In combination, a switch, a member adapted tobe actuated against an opposing force, means for actuating said member and for releasing said member, whereby the switch is directly actuated by the movement of said member back beyond its original po sition, and a constant speed device for periodically bringing said actuating means into 1a p 7? In combination, a movable switch blade, a projection carried by said switch blade, a member made of resilient material,

pivoted at one end, a stationary abutment located so as to engage with said resilient -means by a continued movement being also adapted to release said member, whereb the member is free to spring back and operate the switch blade by engaging said projection.

8. In combination, a movable switch blade, a projection carried by said switch blade, a member wound in the form of a helical spring and having two free ends, a pivot passing through said spring portion, a stationary abutment for one of said free ends, means for periodically moving the other of said free ends so as to flex the spring, said means by a continued movement being also adapted to release said spring, whereby due to the momentum of the spring while returning to its original position, the other freeend leaves the abutment and engages the projection carried by the switch blade to operate it.

9. In combination, a switch blade, a pivot for said blade. a projection carried by said blade, a flexible member, a stationary abutment adapted to engage said member, a wheel rotated at a uniform speed, means carried by said wheel to engage the free end of the flexible member, located in the path of movement of said means, whereby by a continued movement of said means the flexible member is first flexed against the stationary abutment and then released, there by allowing said flexible member to swing back to and beyond its original position and engage the projection carried by the switch blade and operate the same.

10. In combination, a switch, a movable member, means for gradually storing elastic energy in said member, means for suddenly transforming that elastic energy into kinetic energy in the member, and means for utilizing the kinetic energy alone for operating the switch.

11. In combination, a. switch. a movable member, means for causing said member to give a hammer blow to the switch to operate it, and means for absorbing the energy transmitted by the blow so as to prevent recoil of the switch blade.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of November,

HENRY E. WARREN. 

